As computers and their usage have increased in popularity and have become commonplace not only in the business environment, but also in home environments and for leisure activities, manufacturers and users have sought ways to not only make the computers more user friendly, but also ways to improve the ergonomics associated with the use of the computers and the comfort of users when they are using computers.
Despite various advances that have been made over the years relative to the manner of input by users of data and information, most computers still require or are designed to receive inputs from a keyboard or keypad of some type, as well as a mouse or like device, and employ a monitor or display device of some type.
In their use of computers, particularly in a home or non-office environment, various computer users have opted to employ comfortable armchairs, including easy chairs and reclining chairs, as they engage in work or play involving a computer. Such usage has been constrained in various respects due to the size and interconnection requirements for the components of typical computer systems, and difficulties in positioning or incorporating a comfortable chair into the computer system, particularly in a way that would allow the user the most comfort as he or she makes use of the computer.
Typically, with desktop-like computer systems, most users would position their chairs in front of a monitor positioned upon a desk or like item, with a keyboard and mouse also positioned upon the desk, and with those components connected to the CPU unit of the system. Users found that they could sometimes position the chair at a more distant location and/or could recline a chair or configure the chair for comfort provided that some arrangement could be made to conveniently access the keyboard or mouse, including by moving the keyboard and mouse to the user's position in the chair. Because of the size of the monitor and its connection to the CPU unit, however, and because of connection requirements for the keyboard and mouse, the positioning and configuration of a comfortable chair for use in a computer system remained less then ideal.
Although various of these constraints have become less problemsome with the increasing availability of laptop computers and with wireless keyboards and pointing/selection devices, many computer users still prefer, when possible and circumstances are appropriate, to employ the larger, standard computer systems with their generally greater potential storage capacities, larger and generally more familiar and less cramped keyboards, and generally greater adaptability and expandability with respect to addition system components such as CD and DVD drives, add-on external floppy and hard drives, a variety of peripherals, and other components and accessories.
To address these concerns and desires, various devices have been developed, including specialized furniture for computer systems. Some of such specialized furniture have been chairs which have been designed to include structures and features so as to allow the incorporation into the chair of various components of a computer system and/or the inclusion in the chair of structure or features to accommodate components of a computer system and/or the use of such a system by the user from the chair. Appendages or monitor supporting arms of various types have sometimes been proposed as part of such chair constructions or as add-on items.
For many computer users, however, such specialized furniture and add-on components therefor have failed to meet the expectations or desires of such users, especially when they have already had a comfortable chair that they wished to continue to use and with which they were happy and in which they found comfort.